Inside CISA: Enhancing Cybersecurity Through Collaboration and Open Source Initiatives

Open at Intel

In this episode, Jack Cable, Senior Technical Advisor at CISA, discusses the agency's role in securing the technology ecosystem, particularly focusing on open source software security. Jack explains what CISA is, its mission to protect critical infrastructure, and the significance of the 'Secure by Design' initiative. The conversation covers the collaboration efforts with the open source community, resources available for developers, and the importance of integrating security into software development. Jack also shares his personal journey into cybersecurity and emphasizes empowering developers to enhance security measures from the start.

00:00 Introduction
00:45 What is CISA?
01:26 CISA's Mission and Mandate
02:51 CISA's Role in Open Source Security
03:55 Collaborations and Initiatives
05:18 Open Source as Critical Infrastructure
07:11 Secure by Design and Developer Resources
10:41 Jack Cable's Journey into Cybersecurity
12:52 Empowering the Open Source Community
17:11 Bridging the Gap Between Developers and Security Communities
19:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources:

Secure by Design

CISA on Open Source Security

Guest: Jack Cable is a Senior Technical Advisor at CISA, where he helps lead the agency’s work on open source software security and Secure by Design. At CISA, Jack authored CISA’s Open Source Software Security Roadmap and has co-led community efforts to standardize the security of package repositories. Prior to that, Jack worked as a TechCongress Fellow for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, advising Chairman Gary Peters on cybersecurity policy, including election security and open source software security. There, Jack was the principal author of the Securing Open Source Software Act. He previously worked as a Security Architect at Krebs Stamos Group. Jack also served as an Election Security Technical Advisor at CISA, where he created Crossfeed, a pilot to scan election assets nationwide. Jack is a top bug bounty hacker, having identified over 350 vulnerabilities in hundreds of companies. After placing first in the Hack the Air Force bug bounty challenge, he began working at the Pentagon’s Defense Digital Service. Jack holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University and has published academic research on election security, ransomware, and cloud security.